


Comfortember 11: Music

by FlyinBanachab



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: F/M, Gen, Jazz - Freeform, Post-Promised Day, and it's the best decision of her life, yes Rebecca quits the military and opens a bar
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-20
Updated: 2020-11-20
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:08:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 705
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27638689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlyinBanachab/pseuds/FlyinBanachab
Summary: Nights like this are why she opened the bar.
Relationships: Rebecca Catalina & Jean Havoc, Rebecca Catalina & Riza Hawkeye, Rebecca Catalina & Team Mustang, Riza Hawkeye/Roy Mustang
Kudos: 28
Collections: Comfortember 2020





	Comfortember 11: Music

Nights like this are why she opened the bar.  


It's full, but not crowded; patrons are lively, but not wasted; a jazz trio bops away on a makeshift corner stage. She’s wanted live music since day one, but it turns out getting a bar band-ready is no simple thing. First, she had to find a piano she could afford--that a musician would actually be willing to play on. Then she had to find someone to move it. THEN she had to find someone to tune it. It would have been easier to just build one inside inside the bar. And that was just the piano! But it was already completely worth it. Rebecca found herself just leaning on the bar, hypnotized by the sweeping of brushes around the snare. She could watch that drummer all night. And she probably would, except--  


A meaty hand snaps in her face. "Yo, Cat! Whose dick I gotta suck to get a drink around here?"  


She rolls her eyes toward the snapper, but she's smiling. "Mine, baby. Amber?"   


He nods and she grabs a glass. It's funny every time, how Breda's favorite beer matches his hair. Maybe just funny to her, but she giggles as she pulls the tap anyway. Sliding it over, she looks to see who he's here with tonight-- and, wow, the _whole gang_ snuck in while she was ogling that drummer. This...this never happens.   


Jean opens his mouth to tell her his order, as if he needs to, but she puts a finger to his lips. "Wait your turn. RIZA! What are you doing here?"   


Rebecca doesn't take it personally; Riza just isn't much of a drinker. Plus, you know, she’s busy running the country or whatever. Pulling her weight, plus the weight of all these other bozos.   


"I heard there was a band tonight," Riza shouts over the music. "So I came to dance!"   


Rebecca grins. "Drinking anything?"  


"Cider?"  


"You got it! Okay, Jean, _now_ you may speak."  


"IPA."  


Shocker. "Say the magic word."  


Jean rolls his eyes. "IPA, PLEEEEEEASE."  


She gives him a wink and a finger gun and turns to Kain, patiently leaning against the bar.   


"Pilsner, please."  


"Anything for you," she replies, making him blush.   


She pulls and distributes their orders, smiling, swaying to the beat, when she spies a familiar silhouette in the doorway. Her good mood instantly evaporates. Mustang. Why is Mustang here? He usually sends Breda and Jean. If he's here, if the WHOLE TEAM is here... this must be business. This must be a _big deal_. God, can't she just pour drinks and listen to jazz for ONE NIGHT? But she puts on her customer service smile as he sidles up to the bar.  


"What'll it be?" He'll order a drink of course, but with it will come another order. Sure, she isn't technically in the military anymore... but Mustang was far from finished with her.  


"Just whiskey, rocks." And he gives her that smile he thinks is so charming and raps the bar flirtatiously, once, twice.

Twice? That's the signal for "end of the coded conversation”. But he hadn't said anything. Did he really... maybe... could he actually just be here for fun?   


"That's it?" she asks, incredulous.  


He nodded. “That’s it.”  


So weird. He wouldn’t just show up because the rest of his team was here, would he--   


Ohhh.

Rebecca smirks. "Oh, I get it. You heard Riza was going dancing and got worried she'd go home with someone more deserving."  


Mustang scowls at this as the rest of the team laughs. Not like he could deny it.   


Not like he needed to worry. Riza’s not going anywhere.  


The band starts a new song then, uptempo and swinging, _perfect_ for dancing, and Rebecca looks from general to captain expectantly. When they don’t move-- what the hell, why are they so SHY, there's no reason to-- she pokes Jean in the ribs.  


"Tonight’s on me if you dance with Riza first."  


He looks at Mustang, then into his pint, and gives her a mock-serious nod. Then he turns to Riza.

"So, I heard you came here to dance."

Rebecca will never forget the look on Mustang's face as Jean led Riza to the floor.  



End file.
